A 34-year-old Aurora man was sentenced today to 9 years in prison after pleading guilty to driving under the influence and crashing into an oncoming vehicle, killing a female driver.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that Joshua Crye of the 1800 block of Westfield Drive in Aurora has been sentenced to nine years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after a blind plea of guilty to one count of Aggravated DUI Causing Death, a Class 2 Felony. The State had asked for the maximum allowable sentence under the law of fourteen years. Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh handed down the sentence.
According to prosecutors, on April 6, 2023, at approximately 8:52pm, officers with the Aurora Police Department responded to a three-vehicle crash on Eola Road. Following an investigation into the crash, authorities learned that Crye was traveling at approximately 85 m.p.h. on southbound Eola Road in a Ford Escape when he crossed the raised center median, entered the northbound lanes and crashed into a northbound vehicle driven by the victim, Nicole Dickerson. The force of the collision caused the vehicles to crash into another northbound vehicle. Following the crash, the occupants of all three vehicles were transported to a local hospital for medical attention. On April 10, 2023, Dickerson passed away as a result of the injuries she sustained in the crash. Crye’s BAC at the time of the crash was 0.183, more than twice the legal limit.
“DUI crashes are not accidents,” Berlin said. “These crashes, which are 100% avoidable, are the result of a bad decision made by an intoxicated individual, in this case, Joshua Crye. That bad decision however, not only cost Nicole Dickerson her life and her family their loving wife and mother, but also impacted an entire community. I wish Nicole’s family and friends strength as they continue their lives with just their memories of the love and support Nicole once provided. I urge everyone to please be responsible if you have been drinking or are otherwise intoxicated. When it is time to go home, do the right thing and call a cab, a ride sharing service or a friend for a ride instead of thinking you are fine to drive.”
Crye will be required to serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
